Dyno and Show ‘n Shine Action from the 2019 Scheid Diesel Extravaganza

September 12, 2019
Story By
Mike McGlothlin
Photos By Ali Mansour

Now that we’ve covered the cornerstone attractions that take place at the annual Scheid Diesel Extravaganza, it’s time to explore everything else this mecca of an event has to offer. In between taking in the championship caliber truck pulls and the heads-up drag racing, we combed the grounds for the coolest rides, dyno-proven street trucks and one-off diesel projects. From Cummins, Duramax and Power Stroke swaps to 1,000rwhp daily drivers to a plethora of performance-adding or problem-solving parts, there was no shortage of entertainment (or eye candy) at this year’s Extravaganza.

Dyno

In 2019, more than 100 trucks were strapped to the rollers in just two day's time. The peak dyno number on Friday was earned by Brandon Jaros and his ’05 Dodge 2500 with 1,098 hp and 1,875 lb-ft. On Saturday, Matt Greger took top honors when his Duramax-powered ’02 GMC Sierra 2500 HD laid down an impressive 1,488 hp and 2,239 lb-ft. Sponsored by Edge Products, each year the dyno winners are awarded a free CTS2, the most popular means of monitoring powertrain parameters in the diesel industry.

Show ‘n Shine

From lowered to lifted, stretched tires to boggers and late models to classic repowers, there is never a dull moment in the Extravaganza’s show ‘n shine. Presented by the Purdue Diesel Club, it’s similar to the chassis dyno competition in that a winner is awarded on both Friday and Saturday—but the show ‘n shine categories are expanded to include best Ford, best Dodge, best GM and best custom diesel. Each year, the show ‘n shine pavilion is overflowing with entries, with roughly half of all the trucks being parked out in the open.

We hope you enjoy our stroll through the show ‘n shine, along with the trip we took down dyno alley (full results for each can be found here). If you’ve yet to attend the Scheid event, leave a spot open at the end of August 2020. You won’t regret it!

Diesel-Swapping, Done Right

Mason Wright’s ’68-’72 body style GMC Suburban took top honors in the Custom Diesel category on Saturday—and for good reason. His spotless, Duramax-swapped SUV is a cut above most of the swap projects you’ll see.

Ship-Shape OBS

Blending a little old-school in with modern flair, Jarrett Noffsinger’s OBS Ford got the attention of the show ‘n shine judges. As a result, he won best Ford on Saturday (the day that has always played host to the largest turnout). Once upon a time, it was just an everyday white crew cab. Then Jarrett injected a load of new life into the old F-350, complete with paint-matched 22’s mounted on 325/50R22 Nitto Trail Grapplers.

Clean Enough to Eat Off Of

For his second-gen’s simple yet impeccably clean engine compartment, Donavin Davis’ P-pumped Ram 2500 earned him the award for best Dodge on Friday. Of course, the rest of the truck played the part, too. A white quad cab, the truck’s coil springs and traction bars were powder coated to match the rest of the vibrant orange accents under the hood. The mirror-finish polish on the valve covers, intake elbow, compressor housing and air intake didn’t hurt matters, either.

Cummins GMC 4000

How about a Cummins-swapped GMC 4000? The old flat bed fit in perfectly with the strong mix of classics present at this year’s show ‘n shine. And surprisingly, the engine of choice was a VP44-fueled 24-valve 5.9L. Not a bad decision by any means, but a somewhat rare selection for an old-school repower in a world where the P-pumped 5.9L 12-valve is king.

Regular Cab Show-Stopper

Catching the eye of the majority of the Purdue Diesel Club’s judges on Friday was Holden Stortz’ regular cab Super Duty. Stortz and his 7.3L Power Stroke were presented the best Ford diesel plaque later that afternoon.

Measuring HP and LB-FT

Just when you get settled in under the show ‘n shine pavilion, you hear the occasional 3,000-rpm exhaust note from a diesel under load just a few hundred feet away. Eventually, the sound piques your interest enough that you make the short trek over to the southeast side of the exhibition hall, where you find a sizeable crowd gathered around a truck anchored to a portable chassis dyno.

Reality Check Dyno

The Diesel Doctor’s portable dyno got the call to set up shop at the Extravaganza this year. After an easy-going first day of activity, the dyno crew spent all of day two running trucks. While just 24 entries were on the books for Friday, an insane 78 trucks spun the rollers on Saturday. The company’s 15000 series Dynocom has cleverly been coined the “Reality Check” dyno. It’s eddy brake makes it possible to place each truck tested under a considerable amount of load, so that accurate boost (and more importantly horsepower and torque) can be achieved.

Old-School is Making a Comeback

In recent years, there’s been both a resurgence and increased interest in first-gen trucks. Particularly eye-catching are the Quad Cab dually’s from yesteryear. In addition to its rust-free body and two-tone paint, the stack poking through the hood of Cole Turner’s old-school Cummins garnered our attention. Located in Marshall, Illinois, Cole’s short journey to the Wabash Valley Fairgrounds in Terre Haute, Indiana consisted of a brief 20-minute drive.

Not Just for Show

Derrick Parrott’s immaculate first-gen was one of several trucks spotted both at the show ‘n shine and on the chassis dyno. His ’91 W250 put down a respectable 374rwhp and 784 lb-ft of torque—good numbers given the VE pump’s limited fueling abilities on these early Cummins-powered Rams. Derrick brought his superbly clean first-gen all the way from Atchison, Kansas, a 460-mile jaunt each way.

Fueling the Industry

Closing time. It turns out the folks at Diesel Life do more than sell some of the most appealing diesel paraphernalia in the industry, they also have one of the best-looking transport rigs.